It is relatively fast, easy and convenient for an adult to carry a child on the hip. A baby or young child likes to be carried on an adult's hip with his legs straddling the adult. However, the adult often has to bend to a uncomfortable position to retain the child on the hip. Men, particularly, have a difficult time carrying a child in this manner.
As a child grows, the most convenient method of carrying the child changes with the size and weight of the child. For example, newborn infants, who are themselves unable to hold onto an adult, are often carried high up on the chest of an adult. Older toddlers may prefer to be carried on the adult's hip as described above, but this can be uncomfortable and even painful for the adult, especially as the child grows and gains weight. For still older, stronger children, a preferred method is to carry the child on the back, with the child holding onto the adult's shoulders.
There has been a need, therefore, for a device which assists adults in supporting and transporting children in the three modes described above. Adapted for use on the chest, hip, or back, such a child carrier retains its utility as the adult's or the child's needs change.